Bariatric surgery can lead to a significant and sustained weight loss if you are willing to adopt a new lifestyle and stick to it. You also need to set goals and work closely with your surgeon, nutritionist, and other healthcare professionals to help you achieve long-term weight loss.
However, there are situations where patients regain lost weight or do not realize any significant progress after the surgery. Regaining lost weight after bariatric surgery can cause significant complications and may require a different approach to help you get on track. This article looks at some factors that cause inadequate weight loss after bariatric surgery.
- Underlying Health Conditions
Many health issues may occur because of obesity.
Type 2 diabetes is one of the major comorbidities of obesity that can make it difficult to lose weight after bariatric surgery. Resistance to insulin is the underlying defect that causes higher levels of blood sugar. It gives the body a signal that there is plenty of sugar and it should store energy as fat. Type 2 diabetes can have variable effects on weight loss depending on how you control your total calorie intake and your choice of diabetes medication.
- Bariatric Surgery Complications
Bariatric patients may experience inadequate weight loss due to complications that may occur after the surgery. For instance, a newly created stomach pouch that is larger than the recommended size can lead to poor weight loss. It is important to standardize the size and technique used to create the stomach gastric pouch to improve outcomes. Similarly, the use of a gastric band to reduce the size of the stomach can lead to complications because of erosion or growth of the band into the stomach. Once the band stops to restrict the organ, it increases the intensity and frequency of your hunger, leading to weight gain.
- Lack of Compliance
Undergoing bariatric surgery is only the first step on your weight loss journey since much of your progress depends on how you take care of yourself after surgery. It is important to keep in mind that life after surgery requires a high level of compliance and commitment from the patient for the surgery to be termed as successful. Before you are scheduled for the surgery, you are placed on a strict diet to minimize the possibility of side effects after the procedure. You are introduced to another diet program after the surgery to help you adjust to your new lifestyle. If you do not follow the strict measures put in place by the medical healthcare team then you may not achieve your weight goals in the long run.
- Chronic Stress
You may experience inadequate weight loss after bariatric surgery when you constantly live with stress, fear, anxiety, or grief. Many of your body functions are controlled by signals sent to your brain. This means that when your brain is fed by all negative thoughts, it responds similarly by controlling your emotions, and how you relate to your surroundings. Cortisol hormone is produced when you are stressed, which in turn increases your risk of developing other serious health problems besides weight gain. You may also find it difficult to follow post-op recommendations, which can slow down your weight loss.
- Maintaining a Long-Term Plan
Although many bariatric patients may be committed to all post-op recommendations after the surgery, not all of them can keep up with the trend in the long term. This means that a patient may experience weight loss in the short-term but experience a resurgence of weight in the long-term. Since you cannot adjust to a new lifestyle overnight, you need to work closely with your team of healthcare professionals to develop a long-term weight management plan. This includes a comprehensive dietary plan, physician-approved exercises, and frequent check-up visits. Most post-op recommendations usually favor foods that are rich in protein and avoiding fatty or sugary foods. It is also important to monitor what you drink as well as your meal size.
It is important to stay in touch with your physician after bariatric surgery so that they can help you achieve your weight loss goals. Do not hesitate to ask questions or be open about all of your concerns during your road to recovery. Always place your health first and take any slight symptom seriously, as it could transform into a bigger problem in the future. As long as you follow your physician’s recommendations after bariatric surgery, you can achieve significant weight loss results and avoid resurgence in the long-term.
